Wiley Post Airport in northwest Oklahoma City will receive an $8.1 million facelift to improve its primary runway and upgrade signage, runway lights and other navigational aids, the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission said this week.

The commission plans to fund $68 million in improvements at two dozen Oklahoma public airports through its Capital Improvement Program for fiscal years 2016 through 2018.

Wiley Post Airport, which has 455 based aircraft, including 92 business jets, is the program’s largest recipient. The airport also will have its taxiways rehabilitated and drainage improved with the grant.

“With the support of the FAA and Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, these pavement, signage, and lighting projects at Wiley Post Airport essentially overhaul the airport’s entire air side infrastructure, which will in turn benefit the airport and the community for years to come,” said Mark Kranenburg, airports director for the city of Oklahoma City.

Funding for the program comes from the Federal Aviation Administration, which will provide $48 million through the Airport Improvement Program; the Aeronautics Commission, which will provide $11 million, and the airport sponsors (cities), which will provide $9 million.

R.L. Jones-Riverside Airport in Tulsa will use $4.7 million in federal, state and local matching funds to rehabilitate and upgrade its runways, as well as upgrade airfield signage in order to meet current FAA standards. With 520 based aircraft, R.L. Jones is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the nation.

Extending the runway and parallel taxiway is one of several projects scheduled at Durant’s Eaker Field. When completed, the runway could be extended up to 6,800 feet with an estimated cost of $2.6 million.

Rarely does the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission invest money in a commercial airport, but it will invest $500,000 in a new $3.5 million terminal partnering with the city of Lawton at Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport. “We’ve needed a new terminal now for quite a while,” said Airport Manager Barbara NcNally, who said the current terminal was built in 1950.

Other major projects scheduled to receive funding include a $4.4 million project to construct a new runway at Jones Memorial Airport in Bristow; $3.8 million to reconstruct and align the existing taxiway and connecting taxiway to the primary runway at Stillwater Regional Airport; $2.8 million to improve the runway, parallel taxiway and apron at Claremore Regional Airport; and $2.3 million to improve the runway and taxiway at Mid-America Industrial Airport near Pryor.